Pirates of the Spanish Main
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Mini Set Review
Product: Pirates of the Spanish Main
Average eBay pack price: $8-$10 (from 2023)
Where to buy: eBay
Factions: Pirates, English, Spanish
Features: The original set that started it all!
Ben’s Rating: 18/20
Contents of a Pirates of the Spanish Main pack I opened
In 2004, Wizkids launched the Pirates of the Spanish Main product line. The first set introduced three factions – Pirates, English, and Spanish. Spanish Main (SM) was the first set I bought and it is still my favorite set. If you like the basics of the game, a limited number of factions, and a more historical set than most of the others, this is the set for you. You can find all of the game pieces in the Master Spreadsheet, and I’ve ranked the Top 10 here.
Ratings
– Art: 4/5. Great historically-based artwork that set the foundation for how the hulls and decks would look for the rest of the sets. It may look bland nowadays but I’ve always liked the historical theme of Pirates a lot. The cards are the perfect parchment color for the 17th/18th century.
– Set Quality: 5/5. Tons of great ships, most of which are at least playable today. Large numbers of ships per faction meant that each was quite competitive. The standout ships are some of the most beloved and useful in history.
– New Content: 5/5. Tough not to give a 5 here – without this set, there’s no game. Things were fun right from the start, with enough abilities and combos to keep things interesting.
– Collectability/Misc: 4/5. Relatively easy to find, both back then and today. Not extremely difficult to get a full set, and rares were plentiful enough to keep you happy and not get bored with the typical rarity of CCG’s. Loses a point due to the somewhat inferior numbering system used in the first print runs, which becomes more confusing with the Unlimited edition’s release.
= Overall: 18/20. The gold standard and foundation for everything that came afterwards. Still a fan favorite!
Ready to buy Pirates of the Spanish Main? eBay is your best bet.
Below you can check out the entire Pirates of the Spanish Main Set Review Podcast episode for a full overview of all the game pieces.
Did you enjoy my Pirates of the Spanish Main Review? Leave a comment below with your thoughts on the set!
Thanks for your review and ratings on “Pirates of the Spanish Main”. I will keep the information in mind for when I’ll need to buy one.
@Samita Tamrakar: Thanks! You can also refer to my Set Rankings and Reviews section to see what other sets might interest you in the future.
Ben
This is really neat. I always dig the originals from the board games today. My older brother had an original axis and allies game set, unfortunately it’s gone now, but we had a lot of memories on that game. So, are all these pirates of the spanish main game sets 3D?
@Nate: Thanks! Yes, all of the 13 sets that Wizkids released are constructible and 3D. It is a pretty unique and awesome game!
Thanks for commenting,
Ben